Tampa, FL: (Oct-27-07) A class action lawsuit was brought against MasTec, a communications construction firm, over wage disputes. The lawsuit filed in Tampa in July 2005, alleged the company failed to pay workers for overtime, including obligatory meetings. The lawsuit included workers in 10 states. Some of the employees worked for MasTec Advanced Technologies, a MasTec company in Tampa that handles the installation of DirecTV services.
In a settlement reached, MasTec agreed to pay up to $12.6 million to end the lawsuit. Under the settlement, MasTec will pay a minimum of $4.6 million, which includes $750,000 to the named plaintiffs and $3.8 million to their attorneys. But the company stated that the maximum payout would be $12.6 million, if other former or present employees joined the class action. The amount of back pay owed was based on the assumption of an additional 1.61 unrecorded hours worked each day of work, during a period from Oct. 10, 2002 to May 26, 2006, according to court documents. The settlement is subject to court approval. The Coral Gables-headquartered Company did not admit any liability or wrongdoing in the case. [
